In Step With DC
Dance Connection FAQ: Why Do I Have to Take Ballet?
Written by Erin Sforza on August 25, 2017

It’s well known that everyone has their own gifts, and everyone has their own preferences, so I know it won’t come as a shock to many parents when I say Ballet may not be for everyone. For some of our students Ballet doesn’t move at the same pace as Jazz or Tap, and struggles to keep their attention.  At the Reception Desk I’ve been asked on more than one occasion “Why is my dancer required to take at least one year of Beginner Ballet with Beginner Jazz/Hip Hop instead of opting to take other classes without the Ballet requirement?” (Dancers taking Beginner Tap are not required to take Beginner Ballet)

When I was studying in college, singing Opera was a requirement for my vocal lessons. My professor referred to these pieces as “voice vitamins”, and though they were beautiful to sing they were also very challenging and not nearly as much fun for me as the show tunes and pop songs I looked forward to learning. I did figure out though that the techniques that I was using to conquer these difficult arias made singing the “fun” songs much easier and they sounded much more polished. It’s no different with Ballet’s contribution to a dancer’s education.

I always try my best to communicate how important Ballet is for a dancer’s technique, that all other styles of dance have a foundation in Ballet, but I think the best people to help all of us truly understand the huge role Ballet plays in a dancer’s education and development are the people we trust with that exact education; our teachers. Take a look below at the compelling reasons they shared for why Ballet is so important for our students.

Miss Melinda Civitella:

“Ballet is the foundation for all other forms of dance styles, especially jazz, lyrical, and contemporary. It teaches you discipline which will help you achieve your goals both as a dancer and as a human being.”
Miss Christina Perez:

“To make you stand out in a crowd! A dancer with ballet training will always have a certain poise and beauty that no one else poses but them; and people notice that!
To understand what hard work really means. It makes you a more dedicated person overall and that transfers into your life everyday.”
Miss Jenn D’Auria:

“Ballet is an art and a discipline that pays attention to detail. It teaches hard work and dedication and will help you mold as a dancer and in all disciplines of dance. Ballet will only make you a stronger dancer.”
Miss Arial Cohen:

“Dancers who train in jazz or hip hop accompanied by ballet seem to flourish much faster. Ballet is the foundation of most genres of dance, there is a level of discipline that is taught that transfers in other styles the dancer is training in. Ballet teaches them how to hold their body, how to move, how to control it, how to strengthen, how to sustain movement, and how to push beyond their limits and more. These are all very important skills a jazz and hip hop dancer needs.”
Miss Tiffany Seda:

“Ballet technique and alignment is paramount for a jazz dancer.  In order to be able to ask one’s body to perform virtuosic and advanced skills one needs to know where the clear body line and technique comes from. Ballet technique is a foundation that a dancer can come back to in order to create a strong, supple, and capable jazz dancer.”

 

If you have any other questions about your dancer’s classes or the studio policies, our staff and teachers will always be happy to assist you in any way that we can so feel free to ask!

Erin Sforza

Erin is the Public Relations Coordinator for Dance Connection. She studied dance from childhood through college and continues to be an active member of the Long Island theatre community. Erin received a BA in both Musical Theatre Performance and History from the University of Tampa, and has utilized aspects of both degrees working in the hospitality industry, as an Event Coordinator for the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, and as the PR/Marketing Coordinator and Group Sales Coordinator for the CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale. In addition to being a part of the Dance Connection staff, she is a Travel Consultant affiliated with MouseEarVacations.com and CruisingCo.com.

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